Bob Poe Speaks About Mike Doogan and Mudflats
27 03 2009By Bob Poe
The Legislature can change people. Having lived and worked in Juneau four times I’ve seen Legislators come and go. They arrive as idealists fresh off the campaign and sometimes leave members of the “corrupt bastards club. Mike Doogan has changed, not in the corrupt bastards sense, but in a sadder, an angrier sense.
I consider Mike Doogan a friend of mine. I contributed to his campaign for the House. His recent behavior in regards to exposing the AK Muckraker is very disturbing to me, but not surprising. Late last year I had been discussing with a friend how angry and cynical Mike had become. Other Legislators had shared with me that he wasn’t taking on any of the real leadership in the minority or other heavy-lifting tasks that could easily have been available to him. And when I read the dueling letters early this year in the Anchorage Press, I really wondered why Mike was so angry.
Deep down Mike is a journalist of the old school variety, the Edward R. Murrow type. As a columnist Mike took his fair share of shots from politicians he took on, because his name was attached to the column. For Mike to see others able to do this under different, new rules must be frustrating for him.
In the last year I have found myself in conversations with traditional journalists who are honestly and deeply concerned about the demise of the newspaper and of their style of journalism. These are good people in general. But, partially with their complicity, they were sold a bill of goods. Mainstream journalism has for some time now moved closer and closer to entertainment and further from the brand they studied at places like the University of Missouri, or University of Alaska. Nowhere is this truer than cable TV news.
But another more profound change happened to journalism in the world, a change that happened very quickly, and which left many of the older brand journalists scratching their heads. Unfortunately, American cities across the country are losing their papers either entirely, or they are becoming on-line versions in an effort to stay connected to today’s rapidly changing information marketplace.
Blogs and bloggers are at the heart of this change. Today people everywhere, even in China, are exposed to an unlimited variety of information from too many media to count. And, we have become much more critical consumers.
A survey of 10,000 blog readers earlier this year found that 61% of respondents found blogs to be more honest than other media outlets. Mary Hodder, a product manager for Technorati offers four reasons for this change:
1. Blogs have niche expertise; newspapers try to cover too much.
2. Bloggers are more transparent because they are upfront about their biases. Readers trust themselves to be able to weigh these and to glean a balanced view from what they read.
3. Bloggers link to documents and sources so the process is transparent, verifiable, and easy for the reader to review.
4. And perhaps most important, when a blogger makes a mistake the credible bloggers take responsibility next to the original posting, not on page 7.
I think the world still needs good, fact checking, multiple source journalism, but this new type of journalism is much more relevant and important to today’s information consumer, than journalists realize. There is room in this world for both and they don’t have to operate by just one set of rules.
So two things have now happened with Mike Doogan’s “outing” of the AK Muckraker. First, Mike has struck out against a force he is having a hard time embracing and won’t be able to stop. Secondly, the author of The Mudflats has been brought face to face with hopefully the next stage of her writing life.
At the end of her entry “In Exposing the Identity of Mudflats, Rep. Mike Doogan Exposes Himself” she says she will take a moment to consider what this means. Well I for one hope that my friend Mike Doogan also takes a moment to consider whether he is doing any real good in Juneau and whether Juneau is doing him any real good. Secondly, I hope our AK Muckraker continues her efforts at producing an outstanding forum for progressive discussion in and outside of Alaska. And, that she thanks Mike Doogan for kicking her forward into the next stage for The Mudflats.
March 28th, 2009 at 6:40 PM
This may have already been said but since I’ve not had the chance to read all the posts:
With all due respect, Mr. Poe, Mr. Doogan’s name does not belong in the same sentence with that of Edward R. Murrow.
March 28th, 2009 at 7:24 PM
Nicely stated, Bob–excellent observations as well. Insight and grace such as yours might help put an end to some of this Pit Bull politics.
March 28th, 2009 at 7:43 PM
I appreciate some of the things that Mr. Poe said, but there is no excuse for what Doogan did-none!
It is AKM’s choice to go on from here. It was never Doogan’s choice to make for her. And he almost certainly did it illegally. I will support AKM in any way she needs and wants support. I am so worried for her and her family.
March 29th, 2009 at 4:11 AM
This is an open (and short, especially for me!) reply to Poe (and Doogan, should he have the decency to read it) regarding the changing face of journalism and public debate in general.
Mr. Poe, you point out the crunch newspapers are in, and blame the rise of blogging for their problems. To your credit you acknowledge that the quality of so-called “mainstream” media has been changing (IMHO, worsening) for quite some time. Personally I observed it getting much worse in the 1990s. But you imply that it is the result of competition–mainstream pundits say “unfair” competition–from online commentary.
Now I don’t believe that the blogging world can operate as it does without the kind of work mainstream journalists are _supposed_ to do, so it is a very bad thing indeed that these sources are collapsing as they are. But you put the blame in the wrong place.
I urge you, and Rep. Doogan, and anyone else whining about the evil competition of bloggers to read this post by Fred Clark, AKA “Slacktivist.” Note that while he is a blogger with a handle, he is also not anonymous and is a professional journalist.
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2008/11/why-oh-why-cant-we-have-a-better-press-corps.html
The bottom line is–the bottom line. As in, a business culture that has taken (on a timescale of the past couple generations, not just this past decade or so) its mission to be pursuing _maximum_ profit rather than enabling good craftsmanship with a _reasonable_ profit. It is the business side of newspapers and other mainstream media, not a ragtag legion of bloggers, who have been killing responsible public journalism.
March 29th, 2009 at 7:51 AM
Doogan has outed himself on this and I for one am not surprised.
The majority of his columns over the years were all about tearing other people down while cloaking himself as some kind of reformer.
His anger and bitterness have been his hallmark, ripping on Fairbanks as if to remove the birthplace stain and then proudly proclaiming his man of the people Duchy of Spenard credentials.
Then he harps on his daughter attending Hahvad to no end as if by extension he can do both worlds with ease.
Seriously conflicted.
Mike wrote one piece where he let down his guard and joined the human race, a warm little piece on a surplus Air Force parka with the name Denbigh sewn on it.
Most everything else was shin-kicking and sucker punching and he reveled in that perception of himself.
That does not describe a well adjusted individual.
Michael Carey took the opposite tack and is well regarded and beloved.
Two guys from Fairbanks.
March 29th, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Welcome back, AKM. I enjoy reading your posts and the comments, but I rarely contribute. As you can see, everyone was hoping that you would continue to entertain and inform us about Alaska and its quirky politics. As someone from Illinois, I can appreciate the local “charm” or “harm” that is uniquely state politics. Your voice has been a call to action locally with the great response to public political gatherings as well as internationally as you helped us understand and respond to the needs of the rural community.
If you decided you needed to stop writing, it would have been a loss for Alaska and the vast community of those you invited to join your discourse. However, it seems that you have inspired others who would be ready to take up the call. I hope you are proud of what you have accomplished so far.
Stay safe and take comfort in knowing that mean-spirited, bitter old men usually get what’s coming to them!
March 29th, 2009 at 9:21 AM
I know that I am late in the game, but what Rep Mike Doogan did is reprehsible, but at the same time, it shows exactly how insecure he is.
I have enjoyed visiting Mudflats ever since I began blogging last year. During the election, it was the one source that I turned to to find out what was really going on with the Governator. This blog has been an incredible resource, both through its moderator and through the comment threads. What Doogan did was unconscionable, not because we now know the author’s name as she should be proud of what she has created here, but because a politician should not have the time to go searching for a blogger’s identity.
Politicians should be working on fixing this country, fixing their states. The economy is in the shithole, Doogan. Look at your state and tell me that the time you spent in outing an intelligent, well-versed, source of news for thousands of people is more important than the bigger issues facing all of Americans right now.
Doogan, your priorities are incredibly out of whack.
March 29th, 2009 at 9:39 AM
[...] gubernatorial candidate Bob Poe tells us: Late last year I had been discussing with a friend how angry and cynical Mike had become. Other [...]
March 29th, 2009 at 7:39 PM
Bob, nice of you to drop in, however, truthfully, you could have sent this to Loogie quite some time ago. If you noticed a change in his behavior, did you bring the issue up with him, as a friend?
Loogie can explain himself to a judge in federal court, I’m sure we all want to know, however, one must think before opening one’s mouth. This from a Representative? Exactly whom is he representing?
I certainly don’t need anyone excusing why this pathetic fool did what he did. Overall, you’re sending the wrong message. For instance, I object to your statement that AKM needed to thank Loogan for kicking her? Forwards or not, it’s about your choice of words and your assumption. It’s not up to anyone to do any kicking when that person may have a plan of her own, thank you. In other words, Loogan ought to be minding his own business.
“The Legislature can change people.”— poppycock, my friend.
…”the author of The Mudflats has been brought face to face with hopefully the next stage of her writing life.” — your quote, stating the obvious, but is this your way of expressing condolences to AKM when some First Rights Amendments of hers were violated? By a friend of yours whom you’ve known for many years, no less.
Maybe you’re done with dispensing any more of your advice, sir, before you’re face to face with something and get kicked forwards yourself.
March 30th, 2009 at 4:14 AM
Bob,
RE: criteria for anonymous bloggers to avoid name release to Alaska constituents
Please publish the criteria I need to follow to prevent my name being sent to constituents of lawmakers in Alaska. What do I have to do to ensure that Rep. Mike doogan does not release my name. I am, of course, aware of the laws governing free speech and privacy, but doogan’s “theory of the public process” seems very ill defined. I need to know, for example, how much notice I will get before doogan sends my name to his constituents. I need to know how much proof doogan has to have before he is sure he has the right name.
HMMM, what if doogan uses my name for someone else’s blog. GOSH, this is really scary.